Psychodynamic Perspective and Studies

It assumes that the mind is like an iceberg. We have a conscious, subconscious and unconscious, all of which can influence our behaviour.

We have an id that we are born with ( ' I want ... ' ), superego that are our morals that we are taught ( ' I should ... ' ) and an ego which is in the middle.

Strengths

Useful- as it offers an explanation for the causes of mental disorders. Treatments can be accurately focusses on what is causing the problem rather then treating the symptoms.

Useful- it can further our understanding of why individuals behave in ways they cannot explain or understand, meaning that the can start to treat theut problems.

Weakness

Case Studies- evidence is taken from case studies. This is a weakness as the results can be highly subjective and affected by researcher bias, also the sample may not be typical of the wider population so results cannot be generalised, which limits the usefulness.

Un-Scientific- Many of the concepts are subjective and cannot be scientifically tested (falsified), also this means that the research is open to bias. This means that the usefulness is reduced.